Improvement in processes and apparatus for treating mineral wool



A. n. E'LBERS.

PROCESS AND APPARATUSYFOR TREATING MINERAL WOOL.

No. 191,524. PatentedJ'une 5,1877.

Witnes ses: Inventor: W @Aya flaw 21 M N PEIERS, PHOTO-LIIHOGRAPHER. WASHXNGTON. D C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,524, dated June 5, 1877 application filed March 6. 1877.

with the bulk of the material remaining-mixed with shot. To provide a more perfect separation, I use an extra jet or jets, or currents of air or steam, or both combined, to be blown through or against the spray as it flies from the stream of scoriaceous matter, said extra To all whom it may concern:

Figure l in the drawing represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus used for making, cleaning, and collecting the mineral wool. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of one of the pans used in the manufacture of wadding.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. his invention has for its'object to providemeans for purifying mineral wool during or after its manufacture, and for preparing it for use in the arts.

he invention consists in anew arrangeof the jet B a mechanical agitator such as ment of apparatus for separating the mineral described in Patent No. 180,470, may be used. wool from the shot or sand likeimpurities U is the apartment into whic the mineral which areflusually developed duri'ngits nianwool is blown by the jet B. D is a pipe rection than the shot.

bus, in the drawing, the letter A represents the trough or conduit into which a tacle which, after being supplied with the said matter, is removed from the furnace to or with the sald trough, to discharge the scoriaceous matter in proper vicinity to the pipeB, through which ajet of air or steam is blown against the small stream of scoriaceous matter that jets of steam or air through, or by mechanically agitating, a small stream of molten scoriaceous substance, converting the latter into vitrified fine fibers, which are, however, intermixed with imperfectly separated globular matter, having the appearance of sand or shot.

These vitreous fibers possess little elasticity; they break easily while being sifted from said sand or shot, or when handled, or subjected to any kind of mechanical action.

If the receptacle into which the spray of mineral wool is propelled by the jet or device producing it is of large size, a current of sufficient strength is created to blow part of the ment 0, which it will also reach free from shot or globules.

In connection with, or in place of the lateral jet D, I may use an exhaust or suction apparatus placed in the compartment E, as indicated at F in Fig. l, for drawing the fibers of wool away from the sand or shot.

As the shot is from, say, ten to a hundred fibers upward to the ceiling, or into recesses fold heavier than the fibers, it is a very simor shelvings remote from the direct course of ple experiment to so regulate the draft ourthe spray, which recesses or shelvings the rents or exhausts as to leave the shot unafshot, on account of its greater weight, does fected, and merely attract or propel the fibers not reach. and conduct the same into separate recepta- The quantity of mineral wool gained in this cles or shelving, where they will settle down way is, however, insignificant in comparison 1 free from shot.

The pressing of the mineral wool may be done when the pans are more or less filled, so that the contents of a pan may be pressed, and then the process of blowing or gathering the wool in the pans continued, another pressure made, 8tc. In this manner I may have several. compressed sheetsaof :felting or wadding in the pans, and yet allow new or more fibers to accumulate or settle down on the material already pressed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The process herein described of separating mineralwool from gobnles; by subjecting it to the action of a lateral current, substantially as specified.

2. In an apparatus for making mineral wool, the combination of the conduit A and jet-pipe B, with the jet-pipe D, for producing the-lateral current, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination of the apartment (3, con taining the trough or conduit A and jet-pipe B, with the compartment E, which communicates with the apartment 0, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination, in an apparatus for reducing slag to mineral wool, of the wool.- producing mechanism, and pans G, arranged to receive the wool as it is. formed, and constructed to compress the same, substantially as set forth.

5. The process describedof making wedding of mineral wool, consisting in producing the fibers from the liquid slag, conducting them directly, without handling, to, and depositing Even when the mineral wool is obtained in this manner, it cannot be made into felting or wadding in the wellknown ways in which organic substances are treated for the like purpose, because the vitreous fibers break at every handling, so that when once packed in bags or cases they form lumps of different degrees of compactness, which cannot be loosened again, like cotton, or other organic fiber, to form a uniform material.

In order to make a felting from mineral wool of suflicient compactness to be wound around steam-pipes, nailed or glued to floors, or to be used in similar manner, I proceed as follows:

Gare pans or vats placed or hung on shelves, floors, or ceilings, in the compartment E, where the mineral wool, free from shot, is to settle down.

I construct these pans of such length and width as the sheets of felting which I wish to obtain, and of such depth as may be requisite tocontain sufficient wool to be compressed to. a given thickness.

The mineral wool is caused to settle into these pans in a very loose state, so that, for instance, a heap three feet high could be easily compressed to three inches or less. In fact, it is merely a question of formula to determine the necessary contents of a pan for the required thickness or consistency of felting, and to construct the pans accordingly.

When these pans contain the requisite amount of wool, 1 press the wool, by means of a lid, or in any other well-known mechanical them in, boxes corresponding 1 n size to the way, or the bottom a, of the pans may be set sheets to be produced, and there compressing loose, so that by reversing a pan, as in Fig. 2, them, substantially as set forth. the bottom a may serve as a lid for compress- 6. As a new article-oi manufacture, mineraling the wool. wool wadding, formed into sheets, substan- These various devices are obvious, the effect tially as herein specified.

always being to compress the mineral wool without previous handling, into felting or ALEXANDER ELBERS' wadding, thereby preventing as much as pos- Witnesses: sible the breaking, and facilitating the uniform intertwining of the vitreous fibers.

A. V. Bnmsnn, Ennnsr O. WEBB. 

